Automatic sign-exhibitor.



W. AKIN.

AUTOMATIC SIGN EXHIBITOR.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 21, 1909.

Patented Jan. 17,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

(1am off/47L,

W. AKIN. AUTOMATIC SIGN EXHIBITOR.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31 1909.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

THE NORRIS PETERS 0a,, WASHINGTON, 0. a

WILLIAM AKIN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC SIGN-EXHIBITOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

Application filed March 31, 1909. Serial No. 487,059.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM AKIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Automatic Sign-Exhibitor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic sign exhibitors, and one object of the invention is to provide for exhibiting in sequence the greatest number of signs possible, each sign being of a comparatively large size, and the signs and operating mechanism being compactly arranged within the minimum amount of space.

Another object is to provide improved mechanism for operating the signs by an electric motor and to provide for imparting an initial movement to the motor to overcome the inertia thereof preliminary to its being operated by electricity, so that the motor does not have to start the mechanism and may therefore be of much smaller size than if the motor had to overcome the inertia of the device in starting the same.

A further object is to provide a primary controlling device for exposing each sign in its turn for a certain length of time, and to provide a secondary controlling device for causing the mechanism to operate only during certain hours, so that the device may be set to cause the signs to be exhibited during the day time or,'for example, between the hours of 7 a. 1n. and. 12 p. m., and to automatically stop the operation of the device between the hours of 12 p. 111. and 7 a. m., and to cause the device to recommence at 7 a. m., thereby obviating the necessity of running the device unnecessarily during certain hours when it would not be seen, and obviating the necessity of manually stopping and starting the device to cause it to operate during the hours it is desired to exhibit the signs.

Further objects and advantages relate to details of construction which will be brought out in the following specification.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus with the door opened. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the manner of attaching the signs to the chains. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the clock operated switch mechanism on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a side view of the clock operated switch mechanism on an enlarged scale. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the starting mechanism. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical connections. Fig. 8 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale on line se -00 Fig. 2.

1 indicates the case of the apparatus pro vided with a front door 2 hinged thereto, the lower part of the door having an opening 8 through which the sign is to be exhibited. A clock 4 is provided at the top, which is for ornament and does not relate to the mechanism of the invention in any way. The door 2 also has a central panel 5 for display purposes. For example, it may be provided with a directory, as indicated. The sign exhibiting opening 3 is preferably provided with a glass 6, as shown in Fig. 8.

Within the case is an endless carrier which in that embodiment comprises an upper shaft 7 and a lower shaft 8 mounted in suitable bearings, the lower shaft being supported by slotted slides 9 secured by bolts 10 to permit vertical adjustment of the shaft 8 for regulating the tension of chains 11 which connect upper sprockets 12 with lower sprockets 13, sprockets 19. being rigidly secured on shaft 7 and sprockets 13 being rigidly secured on shaft 8. The signs to be exhibited are painted or otherwise applied on sign sheets 1 1, each sheet being of a flexible material, such as cloth, for example, and having one free end and the other end attached to the chains 11 by means of a rod 15 around which the end of the cloth is se cured, while the free end of the sheet is secured around a smaller rod 16, the latter serving as a weight to hold the sheet flat and free from wrinkles and to assist the sheet in falling into exhibiting position. The rod 15 is secured to the chain by means of pins 17 and 18 in the ends thereof. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, each pin 17 is straight, while each pin 18 is bent. The

chain is composed of wirelinks to permit the pins to detachably engage therewith and extend therethrough, as indicated in Fig. 3. The bent pins 18 of alternate shafts 7 are arranged on one side, while the bent pins 18 of the intervening shafts 7 are arranged on the opposite side, as shown in Fig. 2-, the purpose of the bent pins 18 being to hold the chains 11 from lateral movement and yet permit the easy removal of a shaft 7 from the chains when it is desired to insert or hinged at 24 is pressed retaining rollers 21 supported by spring bails 22 press against the sheets as they pass over the upper roller and retain a sheet from falling until its edge has moved clear of the retaining rollers. A presser plate 23 against the upper sheet by a spring 25 and serves to hold the sheets in order, preventing them from moving ahead faster than they are drawn. A spring 26 which is attached to the back of the case, as shown in Fig. 8, performs a similar function.

The apparatus is driven by means of an electric motor 27 which has a shaft 28, see Fig. 6. On the shaft 28 is a gear 29 which through a train of gearing 3O drives a gear 31 having a shaft 32. A brake wheel 33 is carried on shaft 28 and is controlled by a brake shoe 34 on a pivoted lever 35 which is connected by a link 36 with an armature 37 of a magnet 38. Also connected to the armature 37 is a link 39 which is connected with an arm 40 journaled on shaft 28 and carrya p l 41 which engages gear 29. w

the magnet 38 is energized and lifts the armature 37 the brake shoe is lifted from brake wheel 33 and at the same time the link 39 acting through arm 40 advances the pawl 41, thus imparting the initial rotation to gear 29 and shaft 28 and thereby mechanically starting the armature of the motor 27, thus relieving the motor from the comparatively heavy duty of starting the device into action and enabling a much lighter motor to be employed than would otherwise be possible. On the shaft 32 are two contact arms 42 and 43 which make contact with spring arms 44 and 45 respectively. The circuit after having been established through the motor, as will be described later, continues so long as either arm 42 or 43 is in contact with spring contact 44 or 45, which contact continues for a sufficient time to permit the motor to operate long'enough to shift a sign, whereupon the arm 42 or 43 will pass over from the end of its associated spring plate 44 or 45, thus breaking the circuit. The movement 30 acts to control the duration of each operation of the motor. The starting of he motor and establishing of the circuit therethrough is accomplished primarily by the gearing, shown in detail in Fig. 4, which consists of a shaft 46 carrying two insulation wheels 47 and 48 which respectively have segmental connection plates 49 and 50. The connection plate 49 is wiped by a pair of spring blades 51 while the connection strip 50 is wiped by a pair and thus are insulated from the clock movement, while the blades 51 and 52 are supported 011 a block of insulation 62 and are also insulated from the clock movement. Blades 58 and 59 are limited in their upward spring by a pair of brackets 63.

The circuit may be traced as follows, reference being principally had to Fig. 7 The clock movement 60 having moved pin 57 into contact with blade 59, circuit is established from blade 59 through wire 64 to blade 45, through pin 43 to shaft 32 and I through the movement 30 to wire 65, shaft 32 not being insulated from the movement 30. From wire 65 to blades 51 and connection strip 49 and out through wire 66 to motor 27, thence through wire 67 to magnet 38, thence through wire 68 to source of electricity, thence through wire 69 to resistance (lamps) 74 and through wire 72 and wire 73 to movement 60 and pin 57. Also if blades 52 are in contact with plate 50, a circuit will be formed from wire 72 to light 71, wire 70, blades 52, plate 50, and wire 69, thus causing light 71 to burn. Lamps 74 are resistance and always burn when the main circuit is closed. The connection strip 50 is of such length that the circuit through blades 52 will be closed when darkness commences, such, for example, as at- SlX oclock in the evening, and will thus close circuit through lamp 71 until the device is to be stopped, say at'tw'elve oclock p. m. The connection strip 49 extends through a greater are than the connection strip 50, as the connection strip 49 determines the length of time the sign moving apparatus is to operate out of every twenty-four hours. Obviously, when the connection strip 49 passes off from the blade 51 the circuit is broken and the device will stop operation until the connection strip 49 again makes contact with both blades 51. To that end, therefore, the connection strip 49 should extend through an arc corresponding to the time it is desired to have the apparatus operate.

In the operation as soon as a sheet is re leased from the rollers 21 it drops down and hangs flatly, as indicated in Fig. 8, and it may then be observed through the sight opening. In the meantime the succeeding sheet has been moved into such a position that its free edge is about ready to be released by the rollers 21. The sign remains on exhibition until the motor again operates, whereupon a fresh sign is dropped.

What I claim is:

1. In an automatic sign exhibitor, a pair of chains, means for supporting both runs of the chains in a vertical position, a series of flexible sign sheets, a rod through one end of each sheet, a pin in each end of each rod.

detachably engaging a link in the chain, and means for operating the chains, the pins of alternate rods being bent at opposite ends, said bent pins serving to guide the chains.

2. In an automatic sign exhibitor, a roller having open longitudinal grooves, an endless carrier operating over each end of the roller and supported With its runs in a vertical position, flexible sign sheets, a rod in one end of each sheet, means for detachably securing each rod to the endless carrier, the grooves in said roller forming seats to receive the rods only While passing thereover to prevent bulging, and the aforesaid rollers between the grooves forming a support for the sheets to hold the said sheets in rounded form.

3. In an automatic sign exhibitor, an endless carrier, a series of flexible sign sheets attached at one end thereto, a driving shaft for operating said carrier, electro -magnetic means for imparting an initial rotation to the operating shaft to mechanically start the carrier, and means for driving said operating shaft.

4. In an automatic sign exhibitor, an endless carrier, a series of flexible sign sheets attached to the carrier, means for operating the carrier step by step, clock controlled means intermittently rendering said step by step mechanism operative and inoperative, an electric motor for operating said step by step mechanism, an electric light shunted into said motor circuit, and clock controlled means for intermittently breaking the circuit through said light but not through the motor.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 25th day of March, 1909.

G. T. HAoxLnY, P. H. SHELTON. 

